1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and a system for turning over a window that is laid over another at a system level of an Operating System (OS) and a recording medium having a program of turning over a window being laid over second window at the system level of the OS.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional technique, it is well-known that there is a multi-windows system for providing a plurality of windows or display areas on a screen of a display device of a computer system.
For instance, in this multi-windows system, there is provided a graphical user interface which displays a window on a display where the window comprises plural pages, such as disclosed in the U. S. Pat. No. 5,745,109. In the U. S. Pat. No. 5,745,109, only one of the plural pages can he displayed at one time and each of the plural pages has at least one object therein selectable by a user to carry out a function corresponding thereto. It also includes the graphical user interface which also displays miniature windows while the window is displayed on the display. Each of the miniature windows corresponds to each of the plural pages of the window and each of the miniature windows is equal to the number of the objects included in a corresponding page of the window.
Further, there is also known an information processing apparatus which is capable of opening two or more windows on screen and processing one or more objects on each page. It includes the means for pasting one or more tag: windows at any location of each page, the means for registering one or more objects in the tag window pasted by the pasting means, and the means for displaying only the non-overlapped portion of the tag window linked to the page if the linked page is partially hidden under another page, such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,623.
Moreover, in the multi-windows system, it is well-known that when it is desirable to glance a window or page being laid under the top window or page, there is a method of shifting or removing a top window or page, and then shifting back or moving back the top window or page to an original location or any desirable location after having glanced the page being laid under the top window or page. In other words, in the known system and apparatus such as described above, these mechanisms A are provided in two-dimensional way, i.e., the window or the page is just slid into a desirable direction on a planar surface of the display screen in order to glance the content of the window or page being laid under the top window or page.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of turning over a window that is laid over another window as an extended feature of a multi-windows type OS (Operating System) in order to peek a content of another window in a pseudo-three dimensional manner.
The above-mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved by a method of turning over a window that is laid over another window in order to peek a content of another window that is laid under the window in a pseudo-three dimensional manner, in a multi-windows computer system, the method includes the steps of: (a) selecting a first window from the multi-windows by placing an object on the first window; (b) clicking the object on the first window to initiate an operation of turning over; and (c) dragging the object toward a direction to which the first window is to be turned over so as to unveil a second window that is laid under the first window, whereby enabling to peek a content of the second window.
Preferably, the method of the present invention further includes the step of: (d) Inactivating the operation of turning to put the first window in an initial state thereof, thereby veiling the second window as being laid under the first window.
In the method of the present invention, it is preferable that the step (b) further includes the steps of: (b-1) clicking the object by placing it at any location on an appropriate area of the first window so as to start an operation of a turn-over function; (b-2) evaluating a first location on the first window at where the clicking is made; and (b-3) setting an appropriate fulcrum in accordance with a result of the evaluation step.
It is preferably that in the method of the present invention, the step (c) further includes the steps of: (c-1) evaluating whether or not the object is dragged toward the fulcrum; (c-2) if the object is dragged to a second location on the first window toward the fulcrum in the step (c-1), then calculating an amount of turning over the first window based on the first location and the second location; and (c-3) turning over the first window toward the fulcrum in sequential manner in accordance with the calculated amount of turning over so that a movement of the first window is animated as if it is being, rolled in a pseudo-three dimension to unveil the second window that is laid under the first window.
More preferably, in the method of the present invention, the appropriate area is any part of a frame of the first window, and the step (b-3) includes at least one of the steps of: (b-3-1) if it is clicked at a corner of the first window in the step (b-3), then as the fulcrum, setting a point at which two lines intersect at right angle to each other in a right triangle such that a hypotenuse thereof is formed by a diagonal from the clicked corner to an opposite corner thereof; and (b-3-2) if it is clicked at a side of the first window in the step (b-3), then as the fulcrum, setting a center of an opposite side of the clicked side.
In the method of the present invention, the appropriate area consists of a plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks covering an entire area of the first window, preferably.
Moreover, in the method of present invention, the appropriate area consists of four blocks, the four blocks covering an entire area of the first window, and wherein the four blocks include a first block having a first vertex of the first window, a second block having a second vertex of the first window, and a third block having a third vertex of the first window, and a fourth block having a fourth vertex of the first window, and the step (b-3) includes any one of the steps of: (b-3-1) if it is clicked on the first block in the step (b), setting the first vertex as a starting point and setting the fourth vertex as the fulcrum; (b-3-2) if it is clicked on the second block in the step (b), setting the second vertex as a starting point and setting the third vertex as the fulcrum; (b-3-3) if it is clicked on the third block in the step (b), setting the third vertex as a starting point and setting the second vertex as the fulcrum; and (b-3-4) if it is clicked on the fourth block in the step (b), setting the fourth vertex as a starting point and setting the first vertex as the fulcrum.
Another object of the present invention can be achieved by a system for turning over a window that is laid over another window in order to peek a content of another window that is laid under the window in a pseudo-three dimensional manner, in a multi-windows computer system, the system includes: (a) an input unit for selecting a first window from the multi-windows by placing an object on the first window, and for clicking the object on the first window to initiate an operation of turning over; and (b) a control unit for controlling the operation of turning over in accordance with the input means by dragging the object toward a direction to which the first window is to be turned over so as to unveil the second window that is laid under the first window, whereby enabling to peek a content of the second window.
Preferably, in the system of the present invention, the control unit further includes a unit for inactivating the operation of turning in accordance with the input unit to put the first window in an initial state thereof, thereby veiling the second window as being laid under the first window.
In the system of the present invention, it is preferably that the control unit includes: (b-1) a unit for clicking the object by placing it at any location on an appropriate area of the first window with the input unit so as to start an operation of a turn-over function; (b-2) a unit for evaluating a first location on the first window at where the clicking is made; and (b-3) a unit for setting an appropriate fulcrum in accordance with a result of the evaluation.
More preferably, in the system of the present invention, the control unit includes: (c-1) a unit for evaluating whether or not the input unit is dragged toward the fulcrum; (c-2) a unit for calculating an amount of turning over the first window based on the first location and the second location if the input unit is dragged to a second location on the first window toward the fulcrum in the step (c-1); and (c-3) a unit for turning over the first window toward the fulcrum in sequential manner in accordance with the calculated amount of turning over so that a movement of the first window is animated as if it is being rolled in a pseudo-three dimension to unveil the second window that is laid under the first window.
It is preferable that in the system of the present invention, the appropriate area is any part of a frame of the first window, and wherein the unit for setting includes at least one of: (b-3-1) a unit for setting a point at which two lines intersect at right angle to each other in a right triangle as the fulcrum such that a hypotenuse thereof is formed by a diagonal from the clicked corner to an opposite corner thereof, if it is clicked at a corner of the first window in the step (b-3); and (b-3-2) a unit for setting a center of an opposite side of the clicked side as the fulcrum, if it is clicked at a side of the first window in the step (b-3).
In the system of the present invention, the appropriate area preferably consists of a plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks covering an entire Area A of the first window.
Preferably, in the system of the present invention, the appropriate area consists of four blocks, the four blocks covering an entire area of the first window, and wherein the four blocks include a first block having a first vertex of the first window, a second block having a second vertex of the first window, and a third block having a third vertex of the first window, and a fourth block having a fourth vertex of the first window, wherein the unit for setting includes any one of: a unit for setting the first vertex as a starting point and setting the fourth vertex as the fulcrum if it is clicked on the first block in the step (b); (b-3-2) a unit for setting the second vertex as a starting point and setting the third vertex as the fulcrum if it is clicked on the second block in the step (b); (b-3-3) a unit for setting the third vertex as a starting point and setting the second vertex as the fulcrum if it is clicked on the third block in the step (b); and (b-3-4) a unit for setting the fourth vertex as a starting point and setting the first vertex as the fulcrum if it is clicked on the fourth block in the step (b).
Yet another object of the present invention can be achieved by a recording medium having a program of turning over a window that is laid over another window in order to peek a content of another window that is laid under the window in a pseudo-three dimensional manner, in a multi-windows computer system, the program includes the steps of: (a) selecting a first window from the multi-windows by placing an object on the first window; (b) clicking the object on the first window to initiate an operation of turning over; and (c) dragging the object toward a direction to which the first window is to be turned over so as to unveil a second window that is laid under the first window, whereby enabling to peek a content of the second window.
In the recording medium of the present invention, preferably, the program further includes the step of: (d) Inactivating the operation of turning to put the first window in an initial state thereof, thereby veiling the second window as being laid under the first window.
It is preferable that in the recording medium of the present invention, the step (b) further includes the steps of: (b-1) clicking the object by placing it at any location on an appropriate area of the first window so as to start an operation of a turn-over function; (b-2) evaluating a first location on the first window at where the clicking is made; and (b-3) setting an appropriate fulcrum in accordance with a result of the evaluation.
Preferably, in the recording medium of the present invention, the step (c) further includes the steps of: (c-1) evaluating whether or not the object is dragged toward the fulcrum; (c-2) if the object is dragged to a second location on the first window toward the fulcrum in the step (c-1), then calculating an amount of turning over the first window based on the first location and the second location; and (c-3) turning over the first window toward the fulcrum in sequential manner in accordance with the calculated amount of turning over so that a movement of the first window is animated as if it is being rolled in a pseudo-three dimension to unveil the second window that is laid under the first window.
Moreover, in the recording medium of the present invention, the appropriate area is any part of a frame of the first window, and wherein the step (b-3) includes at least one of the steps of: (b-3-1) if it is clicked at a comer of the first window in the step (b-3), then as the fulcrum, setting a point at which two lines intersect at right angle to each other in a right triangle such that a hypotenuse thereof is formed by a diagonal from the clicked comer to an opposite comer thereof; and (b-3-2) if it is clicked at a side of the first window in the step (b-3), then as the fulcrum, setting a center of an opposite side of the clicked side-Further preferably, in the recording medium of the present invention, the appropriate area consists of a plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks covering an entire area of the first window.
It is preferable that in the recording medium of the present invention, the appropriate area consists of four blocks, the four blocks covering an entire area of the first window, and wherein the four blocks include a first block having a first vertex of the first window, a second block having a second vertex of the first window, and a third block having a third vertex of the first window, and a fourth block having a fourth vertex of the first window, wherein the step (b-3) includes any one of the steps of: (b-3-1) if it is clicked on said first block in the step (b), setting said first vertex as a starting point and setting the fourth vertex as the fulcrum; (b-3-2) if it is clicked on the second block in the step (b), setting the second vertex as a starting point and setting the third vertex as the fulcrum; (b-3-3) if it is clicked on the third block in the step (b), setting the third vertex as a starting point and setting the second vertex as the fulcrum; and (b-3-4) if it is clicked on the fourth block in the step (b), setting the fourth vertex as a starting point and setting the first vertex as the fulcrum.